Centrifuge systems for continuously feeding and removing liquid from metal chips or other material impregnated with lubricating or other fluids are known in the prior art. Such systems are illustrated, for example, in Dudley U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,176 and Areaux U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,096. In these systems, the centrifuge includes a plurality of blades attached to the bottom wall of a rotatable separator bowl disposed inside the centrifugal parts separator unit. The blades are secured to a bowl liner which is a metal plate which lines the bottom wall of the separator bowl. The blades extend upward from the bottom wall along the vertical internal separator bowl wall. The liner protects the bowl bottom wall surface against wear. The blades are not connected to the internal vertical bowl wall but rather are fastened, generally by welding, to the liner on the bottom wall of the bowl.
It has been found that over a period of time, accumulated wear often occurs at the intersection of the leading surface of a blade and the internal vertical bowl wall as metal scraps contact the blades and bowl during normal operation of the parts separator. The surface of the bowl and blades are worn away over a period of time, thus adversely affecting the life of the bowl and blades disposed therein.
One method of overcoming this bowl and blade wear problem has been to index the blades along the bowl wall surface. As a particular portion of a bowl wall surface wears away, the liner with equally spaced blades secured thereto is rotated and indexed to a desired location whereupon the liner and blade assembly are refastened in position so that a blade will cover a worn area on the bowl. Unfortunately, bowl wear at the new location is regenerated after a period of time and the liner again has to be moved to a new location. As a result, after multiple indexing of the blade liner assembly, a separator bowl wears out and has to be replaced which is a time consuming and costly operation, particularly since such repairs often take place out in the field where a new separator bowl and a blade-liner assembly have to be shipped.
Additionally, the blades generally are secured to a bowl liner by welding such that as blades wear out, an entire liner having a plurality of blades thereon has to be removed from the bowl and replaced.
Another problem sometimes found with bowl and blade systems presently available is that the blades are attached solely to the plate liner located on the bottom of the bowl. The blades are not connected to the bowl along the outer or vertical blade edge located adjacent the internal vertical bowl wall. As a result, in some instances where particularly heavy scrap materials are centrifuged in the separator, blades will bend or otherwise become distorted. Bending of a blade can cause the blade and liner system to become unbalanced and unstable such that the system must be rebalanced for proper operation of the parts separator apparatus.
What is desired is a centrifugal separator apparatus which allows one or more worn blades in the separator bowl to be replaced as required independently of replacing other blades.
Additionally, it is desired to have a bowl-blade arrangement whereby the blades are securely connected along both the horizontal and outer vertical blade edges to provide a more secure fastening position and preclude blade distortion or bending.
It also is desired to have a bowl and blade arrangement whereby bowl wear need not be obviated by utilizing the indexing system presently employed.
It is also desired to be able to cast the bowl and/or blades, which has not been available heretofore due to the requirements of the indexing system utilized for obviating bowl wear problem.
Finally, it is desired to eliminate the need for utilizing a plate liner having a plurality of blades attached thereto.